Submits expert use of anaphoric "this" to a cloze procedure for comprehensive analysis. Finds that current stylistic guidelines proscribing unattended "this" are overstated; and "attended this" (a demonstrative adjective introducing a noun phrase) is best employed when synonyms for the antecedent and descriptive…

Reprints a 1985 article from this journal describing how and why the author stopped "fixing" student papers. Updates the article with an Afterword commenting on the earlier piece. (SR)

Describes a project in which researchers work with teachers to increase their knowledge of a specific genre of writing and to use the knowledge in response to student work. Finds that few teachers used the feedback response form or scoring rubric provided to them but that teachers used many of the assessment techniques in instructional design and…

Extends an earlier study of the knowledge and use of literacy portfolios as an assessment tool among educators. Finds that familiarity with portfolios has grown. Finds a decline in practical problems with portfolio use but a continued concern with planning, managing, and organizing portfolios. (RS)

Presents a procedure to compose or evaluate structurally sound text, encompassing inclusiveness, exclusiveness, hierarchy, sequence, and language. Offers guidelines for making text structure visible to the reader with headings, format, signals, reminders, and effective paragraphing. (SR)

Describes an experimental project conducted in composition courses at two campuses of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. The project involves the students' exchanging papers and paper critiques between the two campuses to strengthen their understanding of the audience-purpose-style relationship, improve their written evaluations of student…

Reports on an examination of a group of "problematical" placement essays that received divergent scores by two holistic readers requiring a third reader. It is noted that the divergence seems to result from the process of reading a text that does not fit the reader's expectations. (eight references) (GLR)

Asserts that writing assessment should reflect current composition pedagogy, and offers a design to assess process writing. Discusses the development of the scoring criteria and the selection of range finders, as well as the standardization of training and scoring procedures. (PRA)

Looks at the importance of valuing children's play for its contributions to writing skills. Shares the insights a teacher derives from observing children in situations where they seem to be "only playing." Reminds readers of the crucial connection between assessment and teaching that should be maintained. (MG)

Analyzes the document review process in organizations as described in the literature and describes 1 real-life case at the General Accounting Office in which 20 drafts are written and 9 people review them a total of 31 times. Discusses additional research needed to prepare students for this process. (SR)

Describes the need for the standardization of portfolio evaluation procedures. Discusses the problems involved with evaluating portfolios at Mount Vernon High School and how interviewing students helped to provide a fuller vision of student writing for the instructors. Asserts that portfolios are more valuable when kept in the hands of writers.…

Provides guidelines for student portfolios so that they can be accurate indicators of the student's work. Discusses what portfolios are and why they are used, guidelines to follow in getting started, how to manage portfolios, selecting material for reading/writing portfolios and for mathematics portfolios, and evaluating reading/writing and…

A language-in-context model is presented that integrates linguistic analysis of higher levels of organization in writing with analysis of student use of grammatical resources. Procedures for assessing student writing that are based on this model and used for diagnostic purposes are illustrated with texts by seven year olds. (23 references)…

Examines the relationship between the characteristics of second-year MBA student writing groups and the quality of their group-written reports. Finds that the most significant correlation between the groups and their writing was whether or not individuals chose to form teams on the basis of having worked together previously in writing projects.…

A study examined peer reviews of faculty manuscripts submitted for journal publication for meanings deeper than the specific correctives and suggestions they contain, based on reviewers' reactions, editor letters to authors, and authors' reactions. The peer review process is seen as constructing and reconstructing faculty membership in…